Mommy Has Wires
by bionic4ever
Summary: SUR3: James and Lauren accidentally see the wires in Jaime's shoulder and gradually learn that their family is just a little bit different than most.
1. Chapter 1

**Mommy Has Wires**

Chapter One

Jaime was eerily silent in the back of Oscar's car, and Steve, already holding her in his arms, pulled her closer. She'd managed to thwart the attempted kidnapping of their younger daughter, but this had resulted in Jaime being kidnapped instead. Their three children had run home to find Steve and tell him what had happened. James and Lauren, five-year-old twins, had described the kidnappers' van and remembered enough of the license plate to enable Jaime's rapid rescue, less than an hour from home. They were heroes.

Their mother hadn't avoided injury, though. In her initial struggle to keep Hannah, 18 months old, from harm, Jaime had been shot in her right shoulder, the bullet hitting bionics but coming dangerously close to flesh. The wound itself didn't hurt, but the adjacent tissue had begun to bruise badly and she could definitely feel the pain. There'd been no bleeding, so Jaime had convinced Rudy to apply a temporary bandage and not admit her to the hospital. Jaime needed to be with her children almost as much as they needed their mother.

Steve was beginning to wonder if that had been a mistake. She was visibly growing paler, almost by the minute. Her quietness in itself was understandable, but Steve also noticed that she just didn't look right. "Jaime?" he asked tentatively.

"We almost lost Hannah today," she whispered, very slowly. "My God, our kids are in danger just because they're _ours_, Steve. What if those men have friends? What if they go after James or Lauren when they're at school, when we can't protect them?"

"How do you feel about home schooling them?" Steve suggested. "You've got a teaching certificate, and their teacher already told you what a great job you'd done."

"I'd rather let them be normal kids, but I think we might have to do that." Jaime leaned into her husband, her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes to blink away the tears. They were almost home.

Callahan and all three children were waiting at the big front window when the car parked in front of the house. James and Lauren were out the door in an instant, with Hannah toddling close behind.

"Mommy! You're ok!" James said happily.

"Oh Mommy, we were so scared!" Lauren added.

Jaime held out her arms and the twins barreled into her, fast and hard, nearly knocking her off her feet. Steve thanked Peggy and waved as she got into Oscar's car and was driven away. He turned to join his family just as Jaime crouched down to kid level and the twins, in their enthusiasm, accidentally knocked the bandage from her shoulder, exposing the wires and circuitry of the open wound.

James stood frozen, staring, while Lauren backed away and ran to her father. "Daddy," she sobbed through frightened tears, "Mommy has wires."

------

Jaime put Hannah down for a nap as Steve sat the twins down in the den for a serious talk. "Mommy and I are very, very proud of both of you," he began. "You were so brave and so smart, and that's how we got your Mommy back so quickly. The two of you saved her, and that makes you heroes."

"Why does Mommy have wires?" Lauren interrupted.

"Kids, Mommy's doctor decided to give her a brand-new type of bandage, one that'll help her heal a whole lot faster, and -"

"Cool!" James enthused. "Can we take her for show-n-tell?"

"This is a very special kind of bandage. Do you know what an experiment is?" Both twins nodded. "Well, this bandage is still an experiemnt, so Doctor Rudy doesn't really have permission to use it -"

"Even though it helps Mommy?"

"Right. So it has to be a secret; we don't want Doctor Rudy to get in trouble, right?" Steve answered.

"So...no show-n-tell?" James guessed.

"Sorry, Buddy."

"That's ok," James shrugged.

"I know I can trust you two to keep this important secret just between us and Mommy, right?" Steve said, looking at them closely. James and Lauren nodded, excited at the thought of a really big secret.

------

Jaime kissed the twins and hugged them a little longer and harder than usual as she tucked them in. "Thank you for being so brave today," she told them, smiling warmly. "You're both my heroes, you know that, right?" James and lauren smiled, too, kissing her back, even though they were already half asleep.

Jaime gazed fondly at them from the doorway for a very long time.

------

"Those are some pretty special kids we have, Colonel," Jaime sighed as she nestled next to her husband in bed that night. "How would you feel about adding another name to the Austin roster?"

Steve looked at her blankly for less than a second before his entire face lit up. "Are you...?"

"Yep. Hopefully, that's good news?"

"Gotta be a boy this time, though," Steve said teasingly. "James and I are already outnumbered."

------

The twins adored being home schooled, and Hannah, asserting her own independence, demanded 'lessons' of her own. She proved just as smart as her siblings, learning the abc's at a very early age and moving on to basic printing and then very basic reading. jaime seemed to have a gift for making learning fun, and making all three of her children eager for more.

As Jaime's stomach expanded, she found this pregnancy much more difficult than her previous ones had been. For the first time, she suffered morning sickness, and it didn't go away until very close to the time she delivered. She was extremely uncomfortable and occasionally even cranky. She showed Steve how to teach the kids, and he took over most of the home schooling duties during Jaime's seventh month, when she began having to spend large portions of the day in bed. Her blood pressure was skyrocketing and Doctor Hammond and Rudy were threatening to put her in the hospital, on 100 percent bed rest if she didn't stay off of her feet.

Four weeks before her due date, Jaime went into active labor. Her blood pressure rose some more, to a near-critical level. The contractions were coming practically one right after the other, and yet the baby was not budging. Jaime's doctors prepped her for an emergency C-section and Steve was scrubbed, gloved and masked so he could remain with his wife. He stood at the head of the table, keeping her calm with soft, loving words of encouragement and tenderly wiping her brow.

Then came the most beautiful sound in the world: their baby's cry. "It's a boy, right?" Steve queried.

Doctor Hammond didn't answer, looking half concerned and half amused as he motioned to the other doctor. "Hey, Rudy..."

Rudy handed the baby to a nurse and returned to find out what Doctor Hammond was seeing. "Well, I'll be damned. Steve, you might wanna brace yourself for this one."

"Twins again?" Jaime murmured with a mother's intuition, even though she was pretty out of it at that point.

"Give the little lady a kewpie doll," Doctor Hammond said lightly as he removed a second child and the parents heard a second cry.

"Two boys, right doc?" Steve semi-pleaded.

Rudy delivered the news. "Steve, Jaime, you've got yourself two very healthy, beautiful little baby...girls. Oh, did I mention they're identical?"

------


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Steve told the children about their new sisters and then took James aside. "You know, Buddy, this means we're completely surrounded and outnumbered, four to two. You know what that means, don't you?"

"I have to be nice to the girls," James guessed.

Steve patted his son's back. "Well, that too. But it means we'd better find a darn good hiding place, 'cause four angry females...we're goners, son."

There was great discussion among the children, especially James and Lauren, about what would be good names for the new twins. "I like 'Rose' and 'Lily'," Lauren insisted, for about the fifth time.

James made gagging noises in his throat. "They're our sisters, not flowers, Dummy!"

Steve corrected him without needing to turn around. "James - you can_not_ call your sister a dummy. Tell her you're sorry."

"Lauren," James began humbly, "I'm really sorry."

"Thank you, Buddy," Steve told him.

James grinned wickedly. "I'm sorry you're a dummy," he concluded.

"Dad!"

Steve decided distraction mught be the best thing for everyone. "What names did you have in mind, James?"

"I dunno. They're girls; who cares what you call 'em? But not flowers - eew!"

"I like 'Annie'," Hannah offered shyly.

"That's a pretty name," Steve said. "Got another one?"

"Two 'Annies'!" Hannah said happily.

Steve sighed inwardly. This would apparently be a decision better left to Mom and Dad.

------

Steve and Jaime brought Jenna and Crystal home a week later. They stood in the driveway, waiting for their other children to join them, as had become something of a tradition, so they could all enter the house together for the first time as a family of seven. Seven was how they planned to remain. The pregnancy had proven a serious danger to Jaime's health, and later to the babies as well. The doctors had very strongly advised that there be no more children.

Jenna and Crystal were alert and lively, even as infants. The older twins each chose a new twin to 'adopt' and help take care of. James chose Jenna and Lauren took Crystal. Each was able to give 'their' twin a bottle, keep them entertained and even change diapers, although that was something they both tried to not have to do, giving the babies back to Mom or Dad when they sensed a change was about to be necessary. 'Uncle Oscar' brought two more life-sized bears, these two a shocking hot pink, for Jenna and Crystal, along with gifts for the other three, for being such good helpers. The children adored him, still talking about the time when he'd brought James and Lauren real medals for saving their mother, along with a smaller, plastic one for Hannah. All three of them had hung the medals around their bears' necks. Presents or not, there were always hugs all around when 'Uncle Oscar' came to visit.

That was why they were so bewildered when Oscar Goldman arrived in his big black car, when the new twins were barely four months old. Why weren't Mom and Dad happy to see him? Why did they seem so angry? And why did they have to go outside and play, instead of visiting and playing with their adopted uncle?

It had been a long time since Oscar Goldman had made an appearance. Neither Jaime or Steve was officially retired, but Oscar had tried to give the family as much space and time to themselves as he could possibly pull off for them. He'd expected the hostility, known it was coming, but Oscar had a job to do.

"I have an assignment for both of you," Oscar told them as the three adults sat down together in the den.

Jaime was instantly on her feet. "Uh-uh - you promised it would always be one or the other! You can't do this. No way are we -"

"You haven't heard what it is yet," Oscar said softly. He took a steadying breath. She wouldn't like it, but this 'job' was nothing like what Jaime was anticipating. "I want the two of you to take the kids - all of them - and go on an extended vacation. You've definitely earned one, and I have just the place. It's quiet, private, and has some of the most beautiful -"

"What's really going on, Oscar?" Jaime demanded. She hadn't missed the meaningful look he'd exchanged with her husband, and she was _not_ going to be shut out! "You're sending us into hiding, and I wanna know why."

Oscar looked at Steve, and both men shrugged slightly. "Jaime, the group that tried to kidnap you last year has reared its head one more time. They want revenge for when Steve originally took down their leaders, and they also want bionics. They'll do anything they have to do to get them."

"Even hurt our kids..." Jaime whispered in horror.

"It won't come to that," Oscar assured her.

"What good will running away do?" Jaime ranted. "It won't eliminate the threat. Are you planning to keep us there permanently? Or better yet, move us every month or two so we stay outta sight? No. That's not gonna work, and you both know it. Steve, you take the kids on vacation and I'll stick around to get them to come out of their little hidey-holes so we can nab 'em and get every damn one of 'em out of circulation for good."

"**_No way_**!" Steve asserted. "If anyone stays behind, it'll be me. Those kids _need_ their mother."

"They need their father, too, and they need to be able to live safely in their own home, and not have to run away into hiding."

"Jaime -" Steve looked to Oscar for help, since they both knew how stubborn Jaime could be when she'd made up her mind about something. Oscar shrugged. Steve's wife, Steve's problem, he figured. Oscar could help look after the family, but Steve could deal with this. "Jaime," Steve said again, "there is no way -"

"I want to do it. I am _going_ to do it, Steve! I'm the one they grabbed last time, and now they know I'm bionic, same as you. It's personal for me - I want revenge! Followed by peace, quiet and, most of all - safety."

Steve shook his head emphatically and continued to argue, but the next morning he was loading suitcases and children into the car as Jaime waved goodbye from the big front window.

------


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Jaime was psyched and prepared to go up agaihnst the drug cartel that Steve had almost finished forever, several years earlier. She knew they had no scruples; to draw Steve out the first time they tried to get revenge, they'd planted snipers outside OSI, FBI and DEA Headquarters where they shot at innocent people until Steve was forced to put himself into the line of fire in order to stop them. Unfortunately, they'd seen Steve use his bionics, and getting their hands on that interested them even more than revenge.

When they'd re-surfaced the second time, they'd tried to grab baby Hannah, still in her stroller, to draw her father into a trap. Jaime had saved her, getting shot in the process and exposing her own bionics, making her as much of a target as Steve was. Now they were back again. Jaime suggested nicknaming them Phoenix, for the number of times they'd re-surfaced after supposedly being gone for good. Jaime was ready. They'd tried to hurt _her child_ - a baby, no less - turning her into nothing short of a protective mother lion out for blood.

At the moment, she was feeling as restless as a lion. She'd walked up and down the sidewalk in front of the OSI building, gone in and out the door a few times, and even walked around the parking garage. There'd been no sign of Phoenix. She sat down on the edge of the Tranquility Fountain, making sure she stayed visible as she relaxed and made plans.

Suddenly, out of nowhere: **_bang! Bang-bang-crash! BANG!_** Gunshots were ringing out in several directions and Jaime saw people fall next door at the NSB building, across the street where the FBI had an office, and at the OSI parking garage; everywhere _except_ where she was sitting. There were too many shots to isolate one gun and tell where it was located, and then as though following a signal, all of the guns went silent, replaced by the wail of sirens, also from every direction, speeding toward the scene of the carnage. Jaime counted seven people down on the ground and at least half a dozen more bleeding from less serious wounds. She was still deciding where to turn (should she be helping the wounded or taking cover?) when a voice beside her that she hadn't heard coming made her jump several inches in the air.

"Are you alright?"

"Steve?" Jaime's blood ran ice cold with fear. "Where are the kids? What happened?"

Steve wrapped a comforting arm around her and led her into the OSI building, down the stairs and into Rudy's suite of offices, where they found a quiet place to sit and talk. "The kids are fine," he reassured her. "Jim and Helen took them on the vacation."

"But our agreement..." They'd agreed as soon as she'd become pregnant with James and Lauren that they would never, ever again work a mission together, so their children would always have at least one parent who was safe and with them.

"I know, but these people are beyond dangerous. They just proved that. We always used to make a great working team, and I think in this case we need to work together. Maybe then we'll have half a chance."

I don't want our kids to be orphans, Steve. Not like I was..."

"I know, Sweetheart. We'll make sure that doesn't happen." He just hadn't quite figured out how.

------

That afternoon, with a plan somewhat hammered out, Steve stood hidden on the rooftop of the OSI building, with Jaime back at the fountain in a bullet-proof vest. They didn't have to wait long. This time, her ear was able to isolate the gunshots: two guns, from opposite directions, both firing straight at her. She felt the vest take several blows, and also took a hit in her left leg. She heard a different sort of shot - _ploosh_ - twice, coming from the roof, and then Steve's voice on the portable radio system. "Ok - let's move in. There's one just around the south corner of the NSB building, and the other is across the street, behind the tree in front of the FBI. Shouldn't be too hard to spot; they're both covered in bright green dye."

More than two dozen OSI and FBI agents swarmed the areas Steve had specified, and Steve jumped down to stand by his wife. She was glad she'd been sitting on the edge of the fountain, or the bullet to her leg, which had done considerable damage, would've sent her to the ground.

"Sweetheart, are you ok?" Steve asked, circling her in his embrace.

"Just my leg."

Steve took a look and flinched on her behalf. "Let's go find Rudy," he said quietly, picking Jaime up and carrying her into the building. He placed her gently on Rudy's examining table as his radio crackled back to life.

"Colonel Austin?"

"Go ahead."

"We got three of 'em in custody; the two shooters and a driver."

"Great job," Steve enthused. "Thank you."

He turned to his wife and smiled. "See? We still make a great team."

------


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"I found Rudy; he'll be here in 20 minutes," Steve told his wife. "I'm supposed to make sure you stay off that leg."

"You know, that felt really good!" Jaime enthused.

"Getting shot?"

"No." Jaime swatted at him playfully. "Working again - just getting out there and getting into it."

"I sure didn't like making you the target, but you do seem to be the one that draws them out..."

"Yeah," Jaime agreed. "If we'd have reversed the roles, I'd never have been that dead-on with the dye pellets. We did good, Partner."

"That's not the last of Phoenix, though - unfortunately," Steve pointed out.

"I guess, for now, partial revenge is better than none."

Steve raised an eyebrow at her. "_For now_?"

"I don't wanna just bring the monster to its knees, Steve. I wanna cut its damn head off, once and for all."

"On one good leg?"

"Rudy'll have me up and running again by tomorrow. You're the one who said it's gonna take both of us to bring them down -"

"Yeah, but -"

"Besides, I want this _over with_, so we don't have to worry about the Phoenix rising from the ashes again in the future."

Steve could tell by the stubborn way her jaw was set that there'd be no changing Jaime's mind, so while they waited for Rudy, they starting hammering out a new plan.

------

Rudy operated on Jaime's leg early the next morning and insisted on 72 hours of bedrest and observation before he'd consider releasing her, especially since she was going back to work. Steve tried to clear the glum, disappointed look from her face by pointing out that he needed a couple of days to put their plan into action anyway. Jaime nodded and was about to agree when the bedside phone rang. Steve picked it up.

"Steve?"

"Oh - hi, Mom." _Mom?_ had something happened to the kids? Jaime leaned closer, fully alert. "What's wrong? What happened?" Steve asked Helen tensely.

"They're alright. They...aren't hurt, anyhow." Helen was hedging, uncomfortable.

"What is it, Mom?"

"Lauren said something today that I thought you should know about. She told me her Mommy had wires in her arm, that it was supposed to be a family secret but since I'm family, she could tell me."

"What did you tell her?" Steve asked, cringing.

"I said that it's good to have family secrets, as long as they don't hurt anyone. Keeps us close. I waited until the kids were asleep to call you."

"Thanks, Mom. Jaime and I will call the kids ourselves tomorrow, ok? I love you."

"Love you, too. Give Jaime a hug for us."

Once he and Helen had hung up, Steve got back on the phone to set "Operation Phoenix" into action. He called a special OSI/underworld informant.

"Steve! Been a long time! Whatcha need, my friend?"

"I need a favor, Ivan. I need you - as quickly as possible - to spread the word that a man named Gus will have all necessary bionic info, including a live cyborg, for sale in 48 hours, to go to the highest bidder."

"What's 'bionics'?"

"Not necessary to know that. In fact, it's better if you don't," Steve hedged.

"What's going on?" Ivan asked. "You finally joining the darker side?"

"That's all the info you need. I want you to spread it as fast and as far as you can. Capiche?"

"You got it."

------

The following evening, when Steve called Ivan, the informant gave him four phone numbers of potential bidders on what 'Gus' was offering. Steve went down the list, calling each one, but struck out with the first three. They had no idea what 'bionics' or a 'cyborg' were, but figured it might be worthwhile to bid. His hope beginning to fade, Steve called the fourth number.

"Why yes - we're familiar with your product," the voice on the other end of the line told him. "Who are you?"

"Name's Gustafson," Steve said in his best British accent. "Just call me Gus."

"And your _real_ name?"

"Gus is all you need, in case the Feds catch up to you. But...if you're not interested..."

"Oh, we are! We've been following a young female cyborg for some time now, but dealing with you would be much more time-effective."

"I believe I may have your young woman under my control," Steve told him. "Blonde, early 30's, not bad on the eyes -"

"That's her. What are we looking at, price-wise?"

"I will phone again tomorrow with more details." Steve hung up the receiver and smiled at his wife. "Bingo."

------

The next morning, Jaime woke up to find a man with bright red hair and near-black eyes beside her bed. "Hair dye, I understand," she said, looking curiously at the man who bore virtually no resemblence to Steve Austin. "How'd you change your eyes?"

Steve grinned. "Special lenses. Rudy made 'em. They give me better night vision, too," he answered in his thick British accent.

"I like it," Jaime told him. "Kinda sexy."

"When we're done with this job, we should definitely talk about that."

"Promise?"

"Count on it." Steve kissed her, then picked up the phone and dialed. "I assume you know who this is," he told the voice on the other end. "Now it's your turn. Who am I talking to?"

"Harry."

"Harry who?"

"All you gave me was Gus."

"Well, that's fine," Steve bristled. "I already have three offers willing to give me a full name, so -"

"Rundle," the man sighed. "Harry Rundle. I'm the one who will actually purchase your 'product'."

"The other offers were quite generous..."

"Ten million dollars," Harry snapped. "And we want the girl alive."

"Interesting. Harry, I'll get back to you." Steve hung up the phone.

"_Ten million_!" Jaime marveled.

"Going, going, Gone!"

Jaime made a face. "Don't say _gone_, Gus."

------


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Rudy's brow was furrowed. "I told you she can't work until tomorrow," he reminded Steve.

"And she won't be," Steve insisted. "I just need to handcuff her and put her in your safe - the one with the plain grey walls, so it looks like a cell, and film her for a few minutes. The most strenuous thing she'll have to do is pretend to struggle."

"Please, Rudy," Jaime added.

"I'll blindfold her and tape her mouth while the camera's rolling, maybe pretend to slap her around a little. But it's all show. I promise you she won't get hurt, and she'll be off her feet, sitting on the floor."

"This whole scenario makes me a little sick to my stomach," Rudy told them. "I do understand why you're doing it, though, and I know you'd cut off your good arm before you'd ever hurt Jaime, so - ok. But I want to be there - out of camera range - to supervise, make sure she's alright."

"Fair enough. Is the safe empty?" Steve asked.

"Almost. I'll have Linda clean it out while you two get ready."

"_Slap me around a little?_" Jaime said, once Rudy was gone. "Where did that come from?"

"We need it to look authentic. You know I won't hurt you."

"I trust you," she answered, looking straight into his eyes.

------

Steve helped his wife to sit down on the floor of the safe and gently caressed her face before placing her in handcuffs. "The film we're using doesn't have sound," he told her, "so if you feel any pain or need to stop for _any_ reason, just say 'Rudy'." He wrapped rope around her legs, taking great care to avoid the recently injured area.

"Gotcha." Jaime said, trying to psych herself into a prisoner mode. "How do you want me to act, and how hard should I struggle?"

"Act however you'd act if it was actually happening: angry, scared, whatever you feel. And I'll be telling them I've kept you drugged, so -"

"So don't struggle too hard."

"Right," Steve confirmed. "Play it like you're just waking up when we start the film, and then I'll come in, and we'll play it by ear." He looked at her long and hard, more worried than he thought he'd be. "Once we're done, I'll take the film to Phoenix as though I was negotiating to sell you. I'll plant the tracking devices and the bugs, and the NSB can take it from there. Sweetheart, are you sure you're ok with this?"

"Yeah. Let's just do it, ok?"

Steve leaned down to kiss his 'captive' wife, then moved out of camera range. "I want you to film her close-up when she's by herself," he told the OSI operative running the camera. "Make sure you get a clear shot of her face. Once I go in, back up a few yards, enough so the pretend slaps look real."

"Ok, Colonel."

"Ready, Sweetheart?" Steve asked, a little queasy at the idea of roughing up his wife. Jaime nodded, leaning limply against the wall with her eyes closed. Steve forced himself to concentrate on 'Gus'.

"Ok," the cameraman said, "go."

Jaime proved to be a born actress. Very slowly, she let her eyes flutter open, playing shock at finding herself bound and cuffed. As she pretended to struggle, her captive character grew weaker and nearly passed out several times. Jaime, herself, was just fine, and she made sure Steve knew that. She turned her head toward the wall and told him, "Acting - I'm ok." She could sense his growing discomfort and wondered if he'd be able to go through with his part.

The camera pulled back, and Steve stormed in, glaring at her. His back to the camera, he mouthed the words 'I love you' before drawing his foot back and delivering a kick that looked so real that Rudy jumped to his feet. Jaime quietly whispered obscenities at him, making it appear that she was screaming. She flailed her feet, pretending to kick at him. The shock in her eyes when his hand connected (albeit extremely carefully) with her face was genuine. It was beginning to feel just a little _too_ authentic. She was stubborn and determined to finish, though, so she used that real-life shock to help her work up some not-so-real feistiness, trying to bite his hand when he taped her mouth. She knew that if this were really happening, the blindfold would spell defeat, at least temporarily, so that was how she played it, slumping motionless against the wall, feigning surrender, and letting her shoulders tremble slightly so it appeared that she was sobbing quietly to herself as 'Gus' left the cell.

"Got it!" The cameraman called. "Great job! Colonel, I'll have the film for ya in half an hour."

Steve rushed back to Jaime's side, removing the blindfold and tape first, then the rope and cuffs. His hand floated lovingly down her cheek, wiping away the real tears that had begun to form. Making the film had shaken her up a lot more than she'd thought it would, and she clung to him even as Rudy was checking her over to make sure she was ok.

"I'll get a 'chair so you can ride back to your room," Rudy told her.

"I'm fine; I can walk." Jaime insisted, standing up and teetering just slightly on two shaky legs. Steve and Rudy helped her back to her room, and she got into bed without an argument. Steve bent down and kissed her, long and soft, before picking up the phone.

"Ok, Rundle," 'Gus' said, once the connection was made, "We both know I've got what you want. Now, what are you ready to do for me?"

"I've got what I promised," Rundle answered. "It's a lot of money, but worth it if you can deliver."

"I've got proof, filmed less than an hour ago: the girl alive and in my control. I'll fly it out to you and -"

"No, I don't think so. You will send a courier to meet my courier at the hot dog stand one block from the White House, in one hour. I will view your film, Gus, aand call you -"

"Wrong," 'Gus' insisted. "I'll send the courier. That's fine. But _I_ will contact _you_ later this evening." Steve hung up the phone. "Now I just need to find a good courier really quickly -"

"I'll go!" Jaime offered. "Just get me a wig and..." She saw the way Steve and Rudy were looking at her. "Never mind."

------


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The film was delivered and Phoenix snapped eagerly at the bait, then threw a huge monkey wrench into the plan. "You will be here at 6am sharp," Rundle told him, "and you will bring the girl."

"First I get the money," 'Gus' said, "then I will bring her to you."

"No. She will come along with you. Six am." This time, Rundle hung up the phone.

Steve turned to Jaime. "I assume you heard him?"

"Yeah. Steve, I can do it. We can -"

"Not a chance. You aren't going anywhere near the place. I can put Russ in a blonde wig and have him face away from the chopper window."

"And if they happen to find out, which they will," Jaime argued, "the mission fails and you get a bullet in your head. Uh-uh. I'm going."

"Jaime -"

"_I am going_. You can put the cuffs on me again right before we land. If it goes smoothly, I won't even get off the chopper. If it doesn't, at least you'll have someone there who has half a chance of getting you out."

Steve sighed in frustration. "Whatever happened to _love, honor and **obey**_?"

------

At 5:55am, as their destination was coming into view, Steve very reluctantly put the handcuffs back on Jaime's wrists. "Stay on the helicopter," he told her firmly.

"I'll try."

"Jaime..." The chopper had almost landed, so he kissed her quickly. "I love you," he said, then jumped out before the rotors stopped spinning.

"You Harry?" 'Gus' asked the person waiting to meet him.

"Harry is inside. I will take you there, but first I must verify that the girl is on board."

_Ok, Jaime - you were right about not bringing Russ_, Steve thought. But...something was very wrong! The rotor blades, which had nearly stopped, were spinning again. The helicopter was taking off! Steve lunged toward it and was grabbed from behind by two men who'd stepped silently from the shadows. He felt the cold, angry steel of a gun barrel at his back. He whirled around, too quickly for the men to react, and hit one of them with his full strength, slamming him into the other one just as the gun went off.

Steve didn't wait to find out who'd been shot. The chopper was already off of the ground and moving higher by the second. Mustering everything he had, he leaped straight up and grabbed tightly to one of the skids. The chopper was rising at an alarming rate, but Steve's hold was firm. The pilot was an Air Force Intelligence specialist, one of the best, and would never have voluntarily taken off with the stranger on board, so Steve deduced there had to be a gun involved. He'd have to plan very carefully or risk getting Jaime, the pilot and himself killed. He swung his legs up, trying to connect with the other skid, and just missed. He wanted to hang onto both skids and simply ride along to see where they were going. As he was about to make a second attempt, he heard a gunshot from inside the chopper and it began to rock wildly and careen back and forth, seemingly out of control.

_My God, he shot my pilot_! Steve's years of experience told him that no one was controlling the aircraft. He was grateful the weather was calm, with virtually no wind. He knew he was out of choices; he had to get aboard the chopper. He swung his legs up and caught them on the side he was already gripping, then very slowly pulled himself up until he was standing on the skid. He tried to calculate the speed and direction of the chopper because for a split second as he jumped to the door, he would be holding onto nothing, basically in mid-air. Once he'd made it to the door, he threw himself inside. The pilot was alive, but badly wounded and barely conscious, struggling to get up from the floor and regain control of the chopper. Steve helped him into the seat.

"I'm ok," the pilot told him. "I can manage the controls."

Jaime stood in the back of the aircraft, her right arm in a death grip around the hijacker's throat as she tried to wrestle the gun away from him. Her left arm hung loosely at her side, probably broken when she pulled the cuffs apart. She managed to turn the gunman around just as he noticed Steve.

"Jaime, bring him toward me," Steve called to her. She struggled with quickly fading strength and maneuvered him as close to her husband as she could manage. Steve grabbed him tightly around the mid-section, his left hand gripping the back of the man's shirt. "Hand the gun to the lady," Steve ordered, "or you're going out the door."The hijacker was trying to move his arms enough to aim the barrel at Steve, but Steve tightened his grip and leaned forward, so the gunman was hanging halfway out the open door.

"Ok. Alright - you win," he gasped, holding the gun - with the barrel pointed down - where Jaime could take it. Once she had it firmly in hand, she slumped into the nearby seat, completely exhausted. Steve found some thick metal cable, secured the hijacker and knelt in front of Jaime, looking at her arm.

"It's broken," she confirmed.

"I see that. Did he do it?"

"No. I did when I broke the handcuffs. I knew it would probably happen, but -"

Steve nodded empathetically. "Yeah, I know."

"Guess we blew it this time," Jaime surmised.

"Nope. The NSB should be heading into that compound in the next few minutes. And the phone number for Harry was traced to a second compound; they'll be taking that one down, too. We'll turn our friend here over to the proper authorities and voila - mission accomplished, assignment complete, case closed. Happily ever after."

"Not quite," Jaime reminded him. "_Happily_ comes when we're hugging our kids."

------


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Jaime and Steve stood on the porch waiting for Jim and Helen to pull in with the kids. Jaime had spent three very impatient days back in the hospital after Rudy put the cast on her arm. He'd wanted to keep her a little longer, but she couldn't stand another moment without the children and badgered him until he relented and let her leave.

After what felt like an eternity, the car arrived. James and Lauren flew toward their parents, hugging them almost too tightly, with Hannah following them and closing the hugs into a mass hug of five. Jim and Helen brought up the rear, carrying Jenna and Crystal and handing them over to their parents.

"We can't stay," Helen said, smiling at the children's exuberance.

"Not even for coffee?" Jaime asked, disappointed.

"Sorry - we've got another plane to catch," Jim told them.

"We'll sure miss these little spitfires," Helen added. She and Jim gave kisses all around, then waved goodbye as their car pulled away. They had a good four hours before their plane would take off, but they wanted to give the family a chance to be together, just the seven of them.

As had become their custom on any momentous occasion, Jaime and Steve gathered their children and they all paraded into the house together: one united, cohesive and excited group.

"Daddy?" James said when they reached the living room.

"Yeah, Buddy?"

"Did Doctor Rudy put wires in Mommy's other arm, now?"

Steve gave his wife a wink as she stiffled a giggle. Their work was definitely cut out for them, but they couldn't wait to get started!

END


End file.
